Job Standards FAQ
- Job Titles Go Live!
- Job Fields, Families, Categories and Levels
- General
- Mapping Employees
- New Compensation Structure
- Reclassification Pause -- See Campus Memo
Job Titles Go Live!
Reconsideration Questions
If a job title is changed as a result of reconsideration, what is the effective date of the revised job title?
Any PPSM job titles that change as a result of reconsideration will be retroactive to May 1st. If, upon conclusion of the reconsideration process, an employee's job responsibilities are best mapped to a represented job title, the employee's job title will change during the fall of 2009 (exact date TBD).
Can an employee submit a reconsideration request for his/her own position or does it need to be submitted by the manager/supervisor?
Requests for reconsideration need to come through the Mapping Coordinator once they are approved by the direct manager/supervisor. This is because managers/supervisors are ultimately responsible for assigning work to their staff, and they need to support the request for reconsideration for employees in their department. If there is a disagreement between the employee and the manager/supervisor regarding the content of the job description, the employee should contact the department HR Manager for assistance. If the question or issue is not resolved by the department HR Manager, then employees can also speak to central Employee Relations (email askeru@berkeley.edu or contact the Employee Relations Representative assigned to the department at: http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/about/erservices.htm).
How much detail is required on the job description for reconsideration? I thought the generic job standard should suffice with very little customization?
A job description for review or reconsideration should provide a sentence or two for each applicable key responsibility to explain or customize that responsibility for an individual position. Also, bullet points that expand using examples on specific responsibilities for the incumbent are helpful. We also ask for 2 -3 examples for each of the problem solving sections. The problem solving examples should support the decisions expected of the category and level (i.e., Professional 4: decision making examples aligned with a technical leader demonstrating specialized expertise and resolution of unique issues; Manager 3: managerial decisions demonstrating oversight of subordinate organizations through different levels of managers, supervisors, and professionals.) The definition of the job levels can be found at: http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/jobstandards/resources/categoriesandlevels.html.
To help with this process, you can review the sample job description provided in the e-training that illustrated the degree of desired customization. It is especially important to provide an accurate and true representation of an individual’s job duties because what is described in the job description will be the basis for review on the performance appraisal form. In other words, since an employee’s performance expectations will be based on their job description, the description needs to accurately define the job. For tips on how to complete a customized job description, refer to the section titled "Mapping Resources" on the Career Compass website at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/pdfs/MappingEmployees.pdf (slides 33-36 provide a sample completed job description).
Can you provide examples of good and bad job descriptions that were submitted for mapping?
A recommended job description is available in the "Mapping Resources" section of the Career Compass website at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/pdfs/MappingEmployees.pdf (slides 33-36).
Why are new job titles effective May 1st instead of July 1st? We just received our letters and have no time to request reconsideration before the new titles become effective?
The implementation date of new job titles needed to take place prior to July 1st to provide the campus with adequate time to prepare for the next fiscal year’s budget planning process. However, the reconsideration timeframe does provide an additional opportunity for those managers and employees who wish to resubmit job descriptions with adequate time to prepare new mapping recommendations. The effective date of any job title changes as a result of reconsideration will be retroactive to May 1st.
We'd like to have the Compensation Unit review some of their decisions now rather than waiting for reconsideration. How can we do that?
One of the stated goals of the project and how it has been implemented is that all employees will be treated in the same fair and consistent manner. For that reason, all employees received communications regarding their new job title at the same time, and all new titles will be effective in the human resources system at the same time. Lastly, all requests for reconsideration will occur during the month of July. We want to avoid giving some employees preferential treatment over others by early review of reconsideration requests and receiving them around the same time makes it easier for us to provide a more consistent review of the reconsideration submissions.
An employee's Career Compass job description is just now being submitted for the first time for mapping. If necessary, is that employee eligible for reconsideration?
Reconsideration is a one-time process to complete the transition to the new Career Compass job structure. Any requests for reconsideration must be received by no later than July 31, 2009. After that date, the only requests that will be considered will be for the ongoing process of reclassification as described in the chart below.
An employee's Career Compass job description is being submitted after the May 1st implementation date. What is the effective date of the new job title?
The project's objective is to treat all employees as fairly as possible as we transition to the new structure. New job titles will be retroactive to May 1st for all job descriptions submitted prior to the end of the reconsideration period (i.e., prior to July 31, 2009), after which they will be effective on the first of the month following the date of receipt in Compensation as we do currently for reclassification requests.
Is Compensation doing any revisions to existing job standards on the Berkeley Job Builder? If so, should we hold off on reconsideration requests until those revisions are completed?
At this time, we are not anticipating revisions to existing job standards prior to the reconsideration period. We recognize that some job standards might benefit from additional clarification, but anticipate that work will happen some time in the future. In the meantime, we will continue to use the existing job standards, and managers should remember that the customization they add to the job description in the form of key responsibility examples, custom scope, and problem solving examples should all support and align with the generic scope for the position, which is not changing.
What is the difference between "reclassification" and "reconsideration?"
Reclassification is the regular and ongoing Compensation Unit practice of reviewing and classifying a job into a salary range and grade due to significant changes to key responsibilities and scope since the last review. This program will recommence starting in July 2009, and will utilize the new, streamlined job standards. More information will be forthcoming shortly regarding this process using the new job description tools. Reconsideration is a request by a supervisor/manager and the Mapping Coordinator to reconsider the Career Compass mapping decision effective May 1st, and is a one-time only process to help us complete the job mapping transition to new Career Compass job titles. The Mapping Coordinator should submit a request for reconsideration to the Compensation Unit during the month of July (7/1/09 – 7/31/09).
| Policy | Reconsideration | Reclassification |
|---|---|---|
| Time period | 7/1/09 – 7/31/09 (exception: employees who received a letter indicating their mapping will conclude by August OR that their FLSA status is changing from Exempt to Non-Exempt may have revised job descriptions submitted by their managers beginning June 1st for conclusion by August 2009) |
7/1/09 onward |
| Purpose | Provide additional information not originally submitted on job mapping recommendation for reconsideration of new Career Compass title | Provide new information to request a new Career Compass job title to reflect duties that have changed substantively (> 50% of job) since original job mapping recommendation was submitted |
| Eligibility | Any non-represented staff employee who was not mapped to the Career Compass job title originally requested by their supervisor/manager. Employees who were approved for the job title submitted during mapping are not eligible for reconsideration.
Exceptions to the above guideline will be considered if one of the following conditions apply:
|
Any non-represented staff employee whose job has changed substantively due to organizational or assignment changes since date of most current job description submitted for Career Compass mapping |
| Submission requirements | Customized Career Compass job description submitted by Mapping Coordinator in an email with the subject heading: Reconsideration Request. | Customized Career Compass job description along with previous job description and a brief statement describing the significant changes that have taken place since the position was last reviewed. Documents should be submitted in an email with the subject heading: Reclassification Request. |
| Individual responsible for submission | Employee's supervisor/manager via the Mapping Coordinator | Individual employee, HR Manager, or Mapping Coordinator |
| Submission email address | ccjobs@berkeley.edu | compdesk@berkeley.edu |
| Effective Date of new job title | 5/1/09 | First of month following date of submission to Compensation Unit |
| Compensation Response Time | Within a couple months | TBD |
| Career Ladders | N/A | Departments will be instructed at some time in the future how to get approved Career Ladder jobs for their department |
My employee's job is the same as another job however the final job titles are different. Why might this be the case?
The Compensation Unit found that when comparing job descriptions for jobs that were indicated as being the same, in many cases, the responsibilities, scope, staff size, or staff job titles were different. However, there is a possibility that with the number of job descriptions the Compensation Unit reviewed, an error may have occurred, in which case we would be glad to take a second look during the reconsideration process. We know there will be a shake-out period in which the job titles and levels may change both up and down.
I inadvertently submitted the wrong job description for an employee in my department. I really don't want the employee to be impacted by this major mistake and would like to get this corrected now rather than during reconsideration.
The Compensation Unit would like an updated job description during the reconsideration process during the month of July. It's not fair, nor is it feasible from a workload basis, to address requests for reconsideration for selected employees before the rest of the group. The employee's job title effective date will be retroactively adjusted to 5/1/09, the date used for the career compass job conversion.
The organizational chart submitted with the job description did not accurately describe the position. We'd like to provide a corrected version. Can you take a look and correct the job title using this corrected information?
The Compensation Unit would like an updated organizational chart, along with a new job description, during the reconsideration process during the month of July. We agree that an accurate job description and organizational chart are critical for a fair and accurate job mapping process, and will make any changes in job title retroactive to May 1st.
Employee Job Title Notification Letter Questions
Why did my employee receive two different letters regarding her new job title?
A few employees have multiple appointments currently and need to have their managers map them to the appropriate job title for each appointment. If the employee has been mapped to different job titles for each appointment, they would receive different letters. Employees may also have received two letters if their personnel program or exemption status also changed with their new job.
What does it mean that I received a letter indicating my title will be finalized in August?
In a few cases, an employee's customized job description did not fit the job standard their manager selected, or any other nonrepresented job standard in the new job architecture. We felt we needed more time to finalize the mapping in this case. To minimize the waiting period for you and your manager, if your manager wishes to resubmit an updated job description for reconsideration, he/she can do so on a priority basis starting June 1st in order to finalize your new job title by August 1st.
My employee just retired but received a letter. What do I do with it?
The letter is no longer necessary and can be discarded.
My employee has changed positions since our original mapping submission. What do we do with the letter?
Give the employee the letter anyway, because it explains their new job title, salary grade, and range that will be in the human resources system effective May 1st. Also explain that the original submission was for the employee’s previous position in effect at the time they were mapped. Interim position changes did occur in some cases due to the process of mapping employees over an extended period of time. The new responsibilities now need to be documented on a new description and submitted to the Compensation Unit for reclassification beginning July 1st. Approved reconsideration job title changes will be retroactive to May 1st.
My employee received a letter indicating they were unevaluated. I've now sent in a job description for that employee. What happens next?
The Compensation Unit is reviewing job mapping recommendations as they are submitted. Once the new job title has been approved (titles will be retroactive to May 1st), employee letters are being produced and will be sent to Mapping Coordinators for distribution. We expect that these letters will be batched and sent out on a monthly basis.
Job Mapping Questions
For general questions regarding job mapping decisions for different job levels (professional and supervisory/managerial), please refer to the generic scope descriptions summarized on the Career Compass website at the following link: http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/jobstandards/resources/categoriesandlevels.html.
My supervisor/manager did not submit a mapping recommendation for me. What happens to my job?
If you were not mapped to a new position because a recommendation was not submitted to Compensation prior to implementation of the new Career Compass job titles, you will be assigned an interim job title of "non-evaluated" effective May 1st. We regret that your mapping was not completed in a timely manner. You should work with your supervisor/manager and Mapping Coordinator to get this done as soon as possible. If you are not sure of your Mapping Coordinator, see the directory on the Career Compass website at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/excel/resources/Directory_of_MappingCoordinators.xls.
I did not have a chance to review my new job description submitted by my supervisor/manager for mapping. Can I appeal my supervisor's/manager's decision?
If you have not had an opportunity to review your description, please request a copy of it from your supervisor/manager or Mapping Coordinator and discuss your concerns with your supervisor/manager as soon as possible. Your job description reflects your supervisor's/manager's expectations for your job and defines the responsibilities and requirements that you will be evaluated on during the annual performance evaluation process. If all of you agree that something important was overlooked during mapping, the mapping coordinator will need to submit new information to support a reconsideration of the original mapping recommendation to Compensation during the month of July. It is the goal of the project to ensure that your new job description is an accurate and complete representation of your current job, and we’re willing to reconsider if necessary to make sure that happens.
Why was the final job title assigned to an employee different than the one initially recommended?
The Compensation Unit followed a standardized approval process for all job mapping recommendations that included a review of the key responsibilities (and percentage of time for each), problem solving examples, customized scope information and organizational chart. In all cases, it was necessary that the customized job content provided by the manager support the generic scope for the job title submitted. If it appeared that content provided on the description did not support the generic scope of the job title selected, we were unable to confirm the recommended job title, and assigned the employee a title that was the closest to the actual job content that was provided. Or, if the job description submitted provided no or very limited customized content, the Compensation Unit and/or Job Family Advisory Committee couldn't in good faith assume the employee was doing the job title requested by the manager. It's also possible that given the size of this project, an error was made by Compensation during the review process. In either case, it's critical that the new job title is correct and fair for each employee and the reconsideration process has been designed to address any and all concerns with the original mapping decision in order to complete the transition to new job titles.
If the Compensation Unit felt that they had insufficient or confusing information on the job description, why didn't they contact the department for clarification rather than making a decision based solely on what was provided?
The Compensation Unit and/or Job Family Advisory Committee members made the best decision regarding an individual job description based on the information provided. Given the scope and time constraints necessary to make forward progress on mapping over 5,000 employees to new job titles, unfortunately it wasn't possible to consult with managers on an individual basis. Additionally, early in the evaluation phase, the Compensation Unit attempted to obtain further information about submissions but the response rate was poor.
Who in the Compensation Unit reviewed my job mapping submission? Can I talk to that person to find out how they determined my new job title?
Various members of the Compensation Unit, as well as subject matter experts on Job Family Advisory Committees, reviewed employee job descriptions. Each member of the Compensation Unit reviewed hundreds of job descriptions, and given the scope of this project we unfortunately do not have the bandwidth to discuss individual mapping recommendations. We do want to provide additional background on common questions and areas of concern through web tools such as these FAQs and scheduled Open Sessions, which are designed to help answer most employee questions. You can also check in with your Mapping Coordinator if you have more questions and they can help get an answer if they can’t answer your question directly. We continue to add questions and resources as we need to as well, so keep checking the Career Compass website for new information.
Which jobs were reviewed by Advisory Committees?
Typically we used advisory committees to consult with the Compensation Unit if jobs were highly technical in nature and subject matter expertise was particularly helpful, or the jobs were highly decentralized across many departments on campus and extra effort was needed to ensure consistency of mapping. For more information, see the list of advisory committees at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/pdfs/AdvisoryCommittees.pdf.
Why did a position that was used as an anchor point come back at a different level at the conclusion of job mapping?
The anchoring process was a preliminary assessment of a position for a given job title prior to a review of the actual completed job description. While this initial assessment was reviewed in the course of finalizing campuswide mapping recommendations for these positions, we were also careful to apply the same standards of review to anchored positions as all others on campus, including the need to review customized key responsibilities and problem solving sections of the job description. Because of this need for final review, we communicated that the final mapping decision for anchored positions would be confirmed upon review of a completed job description. Once Compensation was able to compare descriptions submitted from departments across campus for each job title, and analyze input from Job Family Advisory Committees, they were able to finalize new job titles for everyone, including anchored positions.
Does my business title change with my new Career Compass job title?
No, business or working titles will not change as a result of job mapping.
Understanding Professional Job Titles
For a description of each level of professional, go to the Categories and Levels section of the Career Compass website at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/jobstandards/resources/categoriesandlevels.html
Why did my position that was submitted as a P3 get moved to a P2?
The generic scope for an experienced professional 3 describes a position requiring full understanding of the professional field, the ability to apply theory and put it into practice resolving problems of diverse scope and complexity, and broad job knowledge. If the job description submitted at a P3 level provided no or very limited customized content in custom scope, key responsibilities or problem solving that support the level 3 scope, the Compensation Unit couldn't assume the employee was performing a professional level 3 position and would have changed the title to a P2. A P2 position typically applies acquired professional knowledge and skills to complete tasks of moderate scope and complexity; exercises judgment within defined guidelines or practices to determine appropriate action.
Why did one of our long-service, key employees who was recommended for a professional level 4 job get moved to a level 3?
The generic scope for a professional 4 describes a position that regularly serves as a technical leader to their department/campus community, performs duties requiring specialized expertise, and frequently analyzes or resolves issues that are unique and without precedent. If the job description submitted provided no or very limited customized content (i.e., problem solving examples don’t align with professional level 4 key responsibilities or scope) the Compensation Unit and/or Job Family Advisory Committee couldn’t in good faith assume the employee was performing a professional level 4 position. Length of service, while providing employees and the campus with a wealth of institutional knowledge, does not by itself determine the level of responsibility required for the position. Length of service, as well as experience on committees or special projects outside of the scope of the primary job responsibilities, are helpful for preparing the individual for future career opportunities but also do not define the scope or level of the current position.
Why did my position that was submitted as a P5 get moved to a P4?
The generic scope for a professional 5 describes a position that is a recognized campus expert with significant impact and influence on campus policy and program development. Professional positions at this level regularly lead projects of critical importance to the overall campus. Very few positions on campus were mapped to a level 5 professional. In contrast, professional 4 positions regularly serves as a technical leader to their department/campus community, perform duties requiring specialized expertise, and frequently analyze or resolve issues that are unique and without precedent. If the job description submitted provided no or very limited customized content that supported the level 5 scope, the Compensation Unit and/or Job Family Advisory Committee couldn't in good faith assume the employee was performing a professional level 5 position.
Understanding Supervisory/Managerial Job Titles
For a description of each level of supervisor and manager, go to the Categories and Levels section of the Career Compass website at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/jobstandards/resources/categoriesandlevels.html.
Why did an employee's job title, which was submitted as a manager, come back as a professional?
The Supervisory and managerial category describes a position that exercises independent judgment in determining the distribution of work of at least 2 FTEs, and makes decisions or recommendations about 3 or more of the following: hiring decisions; performance ratings; merit increases, promotional opportunities, reclassification requests; written warnings, suspensions, disciplinary actions; and/or resolution of grievances or complaints. Each individual job mapping submission was reviewed against this definition, and if the customized job content provided by the manager for custom scope, key responsibilities, problem solving and supervision (including organizational chart) did not support the definition of a supervisor or manager job standard, the employee was subsequently approved for a professional job title. Professionals may achieve and be responsible for many of the same functional responsibilities as a manager or supervisor, but achieve results through their own, personally-performed duties, rather than through the efforts of direct reports.
It seems that manager and supervisor job descriptions undervalue scope and influence of the position and focus too much on supervision of staff.
A key objective of new job standards is to be able to differentiate jobs based on primary focus of the position so that they could be more easily compared to external jobs in the labor market. More information on the differences between categories of jobs is available on the Career Compass website at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/jobstandards/resources/categoriesandlevels.html.
My position was mapped initially to an M3 because I report to a dean, which is referenced under the generic scope, but my job came back as an M1. Why?
Your job might fit elements of the M3, M1 and P4 job standards for your job family, however it's important to keep in mind that while the generic scope defines the minimum requirements for mapping to a given job level (M3 in this example), matching the reporting relationship language doesn't guarantee that the overall job maps best to the M3 job standard. We reviewed the entire job description submitted against the entire job standard, or several job standards if necessary, to determine which one is the best fit. For example, a M3 is expected to manage subordinate organizations with multiple levels of Managers 1 and 2, supervisors, professionals and other staff. There are few positions on campus that meet the M3 criteria. If the organizational chart and the customized job description did not reflect the organizational scope and reporting relationships defined for a M3, we would have mapped the position to the job standard with the best fit, which was a M1 in this example.
What's the difference between a supervisor and a manager?
Specific differences are described by the generic scope of each supervisory and managerial level. Another way to look at it is that a manager is responsible for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources. Managers have a significant, external focus (to the world outside the unit), whereas a supervisor has a more internal focused responsibility for implementing the manager’s decisions through the work of subordinate employees. Once a decision is made on what to do, supervisors have a significant role in deciding how to do it; how to achieve the objective established by the manager. Supervisors often perform the same kind of work that the subordinates do; managers do not do the daily work of the unit as a regular part of their work, they may do it more on an exception basis or in resolving the most difficult problems facing the unit.
What's the difference between a S2 and S1? My position was changed from a S2 to a S1 and I'm not sure why.
The key differences between S2 and S1 are defined by the generic scope. A S1 provides immediate supervision to a unit or group of operational or technical employees, whereas a S2 provides supervision and guidance to a group of professionals or skilled operational and technical employees. The S2 is a new level of a job in the Supervisory and Managerial category that did not exist in the past. In some families the S2 is in the MSP personnel program based on its market pay levels.
My position was changed from a M2 to a M1. Why?
The Compensation Unit and in many cases Job Family Advisory Committees reviewed manager job submissions to ensure that individual positions were leveled consistently across departments and job families by starting with the generic scope to each job description under review. For example, positions mapped to a M2 have responsibility for managing a department though subordinate managers. In contrast, a M1 is the primary manager of a unit or department and does not manage subordinate managers. This is a difficult concept to apply consistently given the lack of hierarchy in many departments on campus, and great care was taken to ensure employees were not unfairly disadvantaged based on department. The M2 level definition was even expanded to include those who oversee one or more managers or multiple supervisors and professionals. The review process also consistently applied other components of generic scope – those positions approved at the M2 level needed to document in the job description how the incumbent would serve as a consultant to senior management, have significant responsibility to achieve broadly stated goals for the department, identify objectives, direct programs, and develop overall departmental strategies and policies.
My position was changed from a M3 to a M2. Why?
The Compensation Unit and in many cases Job Family Advisory Committees reviewed manager job submissions to ensure that individual positions were leveled consistently across departments and job families by starting with the generic scope to each job description under review. For example, positions mapped to a M3 lead a critical function on campus, typically managing multiple subordinate organizations with different levels of Managers 1 and 2, supervisors, professionals and other staff. In contrast, a M2 position has responsibility for managing a department though subordinate managers, supervisors and professionals, serves as a consultant to senior management, has significant responsibility to achieve broadly stated goals for the department, identifies objectives, directs programs, and develops overall departmental strategies and policies. A MSP III position does not automatically map to a M3 position under the new structure.
My position was changed from a M4 to a M3. Why?
The Compensation Unit and in many cases Job Family Advisory Committees reviewed manager 4 job submissions to ensure that individual positions were leveled consistently across departments and job families by applying the generic scope to each job description under review. For example, positions mapped to a M4 serve as the senior manager overseeing a large organization with multiple departments. They identify objectives and direct critical programs with major constituencies across campus. Very few positions on campus meet the M4 criteria. In contrast, a M3 position leads a critical function on campus, typically managing multiple subordinate organizations with different levels of Managers 1 and 2, supervisors, professionals and other staff.
Exemption Status Questions
Who determines whether a job is exempt or non-exempt?
Exemption status is determined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal law that provides employers with requirements regarding minimum wage, overtime pay, and recordkeeping standards for employees. In particular, the FLSA provides employers with criteria, called "tests for exemption," to help them determine the exemption status of a job or category of jobs. The Compensation Unit has applied these tests for exemption to the new Career Compass job standards as follows:
| Exemption Type | Test for Exemption Criteria | Career Compass Level Meeting Exemption Test |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative | Use of discretion, independence of action, level of judgment and decision-making | Professional 3,4 and 5 |
| Executive | Supervisory/managerial responsibilities | Supervisor 1,2 and Manager 1,2,3 and 4 |
| Professional | Certain designated learned professions | N/A (applies to specific "learned professions" including lawyers, doctors, dentists, teachers, architects, clergy) |
My new position is considered non-exempt. What does "non-exempt" mean?
Non-exempt positions are those that are covered by overtime pay requirements as determined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). To give the campus additional time to analyze jobs that experience this change in status, employees who are notified that they are changing to Non-Exempt will be flagged as "non-evaluated" until further direction is provided by your mapping coordinator to the Compensation Unit during the reconsideration period. (Note: All overtime must be preapproved by your Supervisor.)
My new position is considered non-exempt - am I owed overtime for the past?
No - the Career Compass project is a campuswide, new job structure implementation, not a re-evaluation of your individual job. In building the new structure, we have taken the approach that going forward, all entry-level professional 1 and 2 jobs will be classified as non-exempt and eligible for overtime. Employees in positions mapped to one of these two levels will benefit from that decision going forward. We are not making any assumptions about your position prior to the implementation of new Career Compass job titles.
My new position is considered exempt. What does "exempt" mean?
Exempt employees perform jobs that meet one or more of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) tests for exemption and are therefore exempt from overtime regulations should they work more than 40 hours in a work week. In lieu of overtime, exempt employees have greater flexibility to take time off for needs such as medical appointments, parent/teacher conferences, etc. without a reduction in pay. They are paid for the job, not by the hour, even if it requires additional time worked to ensure this occurs. Greater emphasis is placed on meeting the responsibilities assigned to the position rather than working the specific number of hours based on FTE appointment. However, it is expected that exempt employees fulfill their appointment percentage each month.
My new position is considered exempt. Does that mean I no longer earn overtime or comp time?
If your new position is exempt status, there is no formal policy providing you with overtime or comp time for hours worked in excess of 40 in a week. As an employee in an exempt position, you will gain new flexibility to take time off for such needs as medical appointments without a reduction in pay.
My new position is considered exempt. Do I lose my banked comp time if I was previously eligible for overtime?
If on May 1st you have banked comp time from your old non-exempt job classification, you have up to 6 months, or until November 1st, to use this banked comp time. You should schedule this time off at a mutually agreeable time with your supervisor/manager.
How does the department change an employee's exemption status based on the new Career Compass job title?
The following chart outlines how to administer an employee's change in exemption status effective May 1st (Note: if the manager will be submitting a reconsideration request for an employee who is transitioning to Non-Exempt status, the department may wait until after reconsideration to modify timekeeping procedures for this employee. Until the conclusion of reconsideration, the manager should either refrain from assigning hours in excess of 40 in a workweek, or keep track of all additional hours during this period):
| Responsible Party | Does the following to administer this change: | |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation Unit |
|
|
|
Department Supervisor/ Manager |
|
|
|
Department Timekeeper |
|
|
|
Employee |
If employee goes from non-exempt to exempt, he/she:
|
If employee goes from exempt to non-exempt, he/she:
|
PPSM Personnel Program Questions (PSS/MSP)
What are the two personnel programs PSS and MSP? Which jobs are covered by each personnel programs?
The UC systemwide Personnel Policies for Staff Manual (PPSM) applies to staff employees not represented by a union. These personnel policies refer to the employment rights and benefits associated with each job title as shown below:
| Manager and Senior Professional (MSP) job standards | Professional Support Staff (PSS) job standards |
|---|---|
|
All other supervisors, professionals and confidential operational and technical employees |
My new job title is now covered by a different personnel program. What does that mean for me?
| If the personnel program for your new Career Compass job title changes May 1st from ... | then your vacation accrual for your new job title ... | and your employment rights such as preferential rehire and recall ... |
|---|---|---|
| PSS to MSP | begins effective May 1st in accordance with the MSP policy, | are covered in accordance with the MSP policy effective July 1st. |
| MSP to PSS | is grandfathered under previous position's MSP policy until such a time as you vacate your new Career Compass job title. Your vacation will then accrue in accordance with the policy for the new position, | begin effective July 1st in accordance with the PSS policy. |
Are there now more jobs that are covered by the MSP personnel program than under the old job structure?
Yes, there are a few more MSP positions. When we applied the systemwide definitions of each program (MSP and PSS) we found that more positions as defined by the new Career Compass structure met the definition of MSP.
Can I request a reconsideration of my own job?
Because supervisors/managers are responsible for defining the work and requirements of the employees they manage, their agreement and support are necessary to request a reconsideration through their Mapping Coordinator. The Mapping Coordinator is responsible for submitting a new job description, with information that is new from the originally submitted job mapping recommendation, to the Compensation unit for reconsideration during the month of July.
Salary Questions
Will my pay change with my new job?
As we have communicated during the course of this initiative, employee pay will not change, but a new salary structure provides better pay guidance for future pay decisions. When the economic and budget situation eases in the future, we will be in a better position to allocate available equity funds to employees who are paid the lowest relative to the labor market for their jobs.
What happens if my pay is above my new salary range maximum?
We have said all along that employee pay is not going to change as a result of being mapped to a new job, and this applies even if you are paid above the new salary range maximum. Your salary will be frozen (or grandfathered), however, until such a time as it falls within the range, or you transfer out of your current position. This is because you are already being paid a premium for the job that you hold by receiving a salary above the range maximum.
What happens if my pay is below my new range minimum?
In those individual cases where employee pay is below the new salary range, we would have liked to adjust pay to the new range minimum. Senior management really struggled with this issue, but felt that given our current fiscal issues, we can not adjust pay at this time. Now that we have changed our salary ranges for each job to reflect competitive pay practices at other employers in our labor market, your salary range might be higher than under the old structure, which was no longer market-based. While we do not want employees to be paid below their range minimum, you would be considered for an equity increase to the range minimum as soon as funds do become available.
When I compare my current salary to my new salary range, my pay now falls lower in my range. What does that mean?
Now that we have changed our salary ranges for each job to reflect competitive pay practices at other employers in our labor market, your salary range might be higher than under the old structure, which was not market based. You have more salary growth potential as a result if you remain in your current job than you did previously.
Is my position within my salary range supposed to reflect my level of experience?
In a perfect world, employees with extensive experience and a proven track record of outstanding performance are typically paid in the upper half of their salary range, and employees with less experience, who have been recently promoted, or who do not consistently demonstrate outstanding performance are paid in the lower portion of their range. It is difficult to apply these principles to Berkeley at this time; however, because we are just now transitioning from salary range structure that was not always based on the current market. We expect the new salary structure to provide better guidance for administering salaries over time.
How often will the salary ranges be reviewed and possibly changed?
Competitive pay information that we gather from third-party professional salary surveys is generally collected and reviewed every one to two years. We will review our salary ranges in this timeframe and make updates, as appropriate, to ensure our salary ranges are aligned with labor market pay levels.
What other employers are considered part of our "labor market?"
We consider all types of employers – private, public and higher education – to be part of our labor market as we compete with all of them for employee talent. We pay special attention to those employers that are in our local, Bay Area labor market since our cost of labor here is significantly different than in other parts of the country.
How do you gather pay information from other employers?
Pay data is collected in different ways. A primary source is from salary surveys. Berkeley as well as many other public and private organizations participate in third-party salary surveys. We all report pay data for our employees anonymously for the jobs described in the survey and the results are then provided in a confidential manner. In addition to salary surveys, we also sometimes conduct specialized custom surveys or contract with outside consultants to conduct the survey on our behalf, if data is not otherwise available.
Other HR Policy Questions
How do we use the Career Compass job standards to fill an open position?
Should you have a new job opening, you should select a job standard from the Berkeley Job Builder, download it into a job description document and customize it as necessary to reflect the duties and requirements of your specific job. You will need to submit it to the Compensation Unit so it may be classified and assigned a grade and range. Following classification, you may work with the Employment Services Unit to post the position. You can then use the new salary range for guidance when hiring. You will also want to consider the pay levels of other employees performing the same position when deciding on an offer.
How does the performance evaluation form include information from the job description?
Sometime in the future, key responsibilities from the job description will be copied into the performance evaluation form. Until that additional functionality is available, supervisors/managers will need to copy the content from the description into the performance evaluation form manually. In this manner, there is a direct link between the job description and the performance expectations of the employee performing that job.
Job Fields, Families, Categories and Levels
For different job families, there are categories of jobs, and levels in the new job structure. What do those terms mean? (Visit Job Structure Layout)
The terms in the proposed job structure distinguish the work that people perform. By looking at the differences in scope and responsibility between jobs, we can describe each job more accurately in relation to other jobs.- A job field is a group of jobs that involve work in the same general occupation. These jobs have related knowledge requirements, skill sets, and abilities. Finance is an example of a field.
- A job family is a more specific functional area within a field. In a family, the same or relatively similar work is performed, a similar skill set is required, and it is possible to move within the family with minimal training. For example, Purchasing is a family within the Finance field.
- A job category defines the type of work performed, as opposed to the occupation or subject matter. The three categories are: 1) Operational & Technical, 2) Professional, 3) Supervisory & Managerial. A job family can include more than one type of work, so within Purchasing, you could have jobs in both professional and supervisory & managerial categories.
- The job level reflects the amount of responsibility, impact, and scope that a job has. We have determined the appropriate number of levels within each category per job family by looking at market survey data and working with subject matter experts for that family and field. For example, a Buyer in the Professional job category could be a level 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 professional. In the Operational & Technical category, there are 3 levels, and for Supervisory Managerial, there are a total of 6. Establishing the appropriate number of levels based on category facilitates comparison of UC Berkeley jobs with comparable jobs in market salary surveys. At the same time, not all UCB job families will require the full number of levels. The number of levels in UCB’s Career Compass job structure for each family is dependent on how the work is currently organized at UCB.
How will the campus keep the Job Structure up-to-date in the future?
The Compensation Unit will regularly review our Job Structure and compare it to the external market. We will update our market survey data so we have the information to make recommendations on adjusting UCB’s compensation structures in the future.General
Why is Career Compass developing Job Standards?
The campus has no standardized method for developing job descriptions. Often the same job is described in different ways or different jobs have the same or similar job titles, leading to significant confusion as well as some inequity across campus. A standard method for analyzing jobs will help ensure consistency and make it easier to see how jobs with different titles may share some characteristics. It will also save time when new job descriptions are being developed or revised.What if I was unable to get comments in on a specific job family before the comment period ended?
The comment period will not be extended since the job description templates that will be developed from the standards are only meant to capture the majority of the job responsibilities. Managers and employees will still be able to edit the job description template so it is specific to the individual employee. Employees will not be adversely affected since there will be an opportunity to provide additional clarification in the description submitted for the employee. Extending the comment period would delay the production of job description templates for mapping. Many managers are eager to start using these templates since they are easier to work with than the current format.What if the Job Standard does not fully represent the work that I do?
The generalized job standards may not fully reflect the unique work each individual may be asked to perform as part of his or her regular responsibilities. The goal is to capture at least 70% of the predominant job duties for a given job family. Supervisors and managers can use the generic job description templates as a basis to develop customized job descriptions that reflect the individual’s unique responsibilities, yet still align to the job standards for all campus staff in that job.Mapping Employees
How are you going to match my current job to the new structure and who will do the matching?
Supervisors and individual employees may provide input on the specific work that the staff member performs by: 1) choosing what appears as the closest match to a job family and level on the Career Compass website, 2) downloading the job standard to a job description, and 3) customizing it for each employee or group of employees who perform essentially the same duties. Supervisors will then work with human resource managers in their departments to ensure the mapping recommendation seems appropriate. The recommendation will be reviewed by the Compensation Unit to ensure we have consistency across the campus. For positions with large populations that are highly technical, and/or exist across several departments on Campus, there will be Mapping Advisory Committees in place to ensure consistency across the Campus. Once this initial work is done to match all the current jobs to the structure, an ongoing process will be designed, and an appeal process will be available for staff and supervisors.How can I determine if I am mapping a job properly if I have an employee who administers the department's web site, requiring both IT and writing skills. How can I determine which is the better match?
When mapping your jobs to the Career Compass job families, you should apply the "Majority Rule": If a majority of the employee's job fits the job family definition, then the job should be mapped to that job family. In most cases the Majority Rule will apply. For example, if your website administrator applies predominantly IT knowledge and skills rather than Writing skills, and the majority of the job fits one of the IT job families (e.g., Applications Programming), the position should be mapped to THAT job family.For detailed information on mapping "hybrid" scenarios, please consult the table on Hybrid Jobs.
To assist with the job mapping process, and to provide information for those fields and families that have not yet been posted onto the website, we have created a PDF document summarizing job family descriptions for all of the job families. Please find this document in the "Related Info" sidebar on most pages of the Job Standards section. For a direct link, visit: http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/pdfs/JobFamilyDescriptions.pdf.
How will employees in hybrid jobs who have responsibility for multiple administrative areas such as HR, Budget, Payroll, and Facilities be mapped?
If an employee has multi-functional responsibility for a combination of different areas that are all important and necessary for the role, the job will likely be mapped to the Administrative Operations family within the General Administration field.
If this hybrid job is an individual contributor role (does not have 2 FTE or more employees reporting to them), the job would be mapped to a new Administrative Business Operations Officer job in the professional category.
If the role has multi-functional responsibility (as indicated above) and oversees 2 or more FTE, the job would likely map to the Administrative Operations Supervisor or the Administrative Operations Manager jobs in the supervisory and managerial category within the Administrative Operations family (General Administration field).What about other hybrid job scenarios where one set of responsibilities may constitute the majority of the job?
The major duties of a given job will determine how to map it to a new job family. The chart below recommends a solution for mapping each hybrid job to a new job family:
| Situation | Solution |
|---|---|
| (1) One set of duties constitutes over 50% of the job. | Use the job family that constitutes over 50% of the job. |
| (2) No set of duties constitutes over 50% of the job, but one set of duties is greater than any other. | Use the job family that has a greater % of duties than any other job family. |
| (3) No set of duties clearly predominates. | Use the job family that you would emphasize when recruiting for the position. |
| (4) No set of duties clearly predominates, and the combination of duties is captured in a “multi-functional” job family. | If the combination of duties is captured by a defined “multi-functional” job family, and such job family is a better match than other, more specific, job families, use the “multi-functional” job family (examples include Administrative Operations within General Administration; HR Generalist within Human Resources; Information Systems within Information Technology). |
If an employee supervises at least 2.0 FTEs, but also performs a significant amount of non-supervisory duties, should I map the employee to a Supervisory & Managerial, Professional, or Operational & Technical job?
The employee should be mapped to a new job based on the percent of time spent supervising or managing others, and the type of personally performed duties that are non-supervisory in nature. Recommended solutions for each type of situation are outlined in the following chart:
| Situation | Solution |
|---|---|
| (1) The employee spends more than 50% of the time supervising and/or managing. | Use the relevant Supervisory & Managerial job description template for job mapping. To insert personally performed duties into the Essential Functions section of the job description, use the appropriate Operational & Technical or Professional job description template for examples of duties. |
| (2) The employee spends less than 50% of the time supervising and/or managing, and the personally performed duties fall into the Operational & Technical category. | Use the relevant Supervisory & Managerial job description template for job mapping. To insert personally performed duties into the Essential Functions section of the job description, use the appropriate Operational & Technical or Professional job description template for examples of duties. |
| (3) The employee spends less than 50% of the time supervising or managing, and the personally performed duties fall into the Professional category. | Use the relevant Professional job description template, and complete the Supervisory section of the Professional job description template. To insert supervisory duties into the Essential Functions section of the job description, use the appropriate Supervisory & Managerial job description template for examples of duties. |
What if an employee has a split assignment between two jobs or units?
Each supervisor or manager of an employee with multiple assignments will need to map the employee to the job standard that best fits that particular assignment. It is our practice now, and will be going forward, to track each assignment individually in the HR system.Will employees have a say in the mapping of their positions?
Employees will have the opportunity to review the job description developed by their supervisor to verify that the responsibilities stated are being performed and that the approximate percentages of time allocated are accurate. After the job description is submitted to the HR Compensation unit, it will be reviewed by a Compensation Consultant to determine the Job Level. In some large occupational areas, such as Information Technology and Library Assistants, the campus will continue to have committees of campus experts to provide advice to the Compensation Unit.Will supervisors and managers have to update all the job descriptions?
Yes. For job mapping purposes, supervisors and managers will need to develop current job descriptions for their non-represented staff; however, they will be able to select from pre-filled job description templates and edit those job descriptions to reflect the specific responsibilities of employees. The Compensation Unit needs a current Job Description that accurately reflects the position’s responsibilities so the position can be appropriately mapped.What if a supervisor or manager wants to re-think the whole operation, rather than just mapping everyone into a new Job Family?
When considering reorganizing a unit, based on business needs, we encourage you to talk with your Employee Relations Specialist.Will supervisors and managers still have flexibility to design jobs based on what is needed in the organization?
Yes. As a manager or supervisor, you will still have the flexibility to design jobs that make sense for your department, and we expect that the new tools at your disposal will make this process easier. Campus job description templates can be edited to reflect the responsibilities performed by the employee.
What happens if someone’s new classification is "lower" than the old one?
Some of the new job series have fewer levels than the current job series. Therefore, having a lower number in the title does not indicate that the new classification is "lower." For example, a current Programmer Analyst III might be comparable to an Information Systems Analyst 2. In any case, when the new classifications are implemented, an employee's salary will not be affected.What if I can't find a specific job family that matches my job, even though I am certain the job belongs to a job field that has already been published? For example, I have an employee who clearly performs IT work, but I cannot find the specific type of IT work in any of the IT job families. What should I do?
If you are certain that a job belongs in an already released job field, but you cannot find the appropriate job family, please contact your Department HR manager or the Comp Desk at compdesk@berkeley.edu. If possible, please attach the relevant job description. If you do not have an electronic copy of the job description, please provide a brief description of the position's duties and responsibilities, and an explanation of why they do not seem to match any of the distributed job families.
When a job seems to fit a particular job family, but the duties and responsibilities are at a lower level than the lowest Professional level available on the website for that family, how do I map that employee?
The best match might be a job standard in a given job family (either Operational & Technical or Professional) that is currently represented by a bargaining unit. Job Standards for represented work are not yet available on the Career Compass website, but summaries have been developed to assist with the mapping process and can be viewed at http://careercompass.berkeley.edu/pdfs/RepresentedWorkDescriptions.pdf. If your position seems to match one of those summary descriptions, follow these procedures:
1. Send an e-mail to your Mapping Coordinator with the following information:
- Employee's name
- Employee's current classification
- Which Job Family you've tentatively mapped the employee to
- Which category you've tentatively mapped the employee to (e.g., Operational & Technical, Professional)
- If you've tentatively mapped the employee to the Professional category, specify that the employee's position seems to fit the summary description for covered work more closely than the published Professional job standards on the Berkeley Job Builder.
2. Hold off mapping your employee until the appropriate job standard does become available.
Why do some job families have an entire category or level missing?
Not all job families have jobs in all 3 categories (Operational & Technical, Professional, and Supervisory & Managerial). For example, many families do not have jobs in the Operational & Technical category, which covers support, operational, technical, skilled or semi-skilled positions and are usually represented by a collective bargaining unit.The number of job levels is based on what generally exists in the marketplace and what UC Berkeley needs. The job families were developed in consultation with campus managers and staff experts in each subject area. In many instances, these "subject matter experts" provided confirmation that some categories and/or levels were not necessary for a specific job family as currently performed on campus.
Where are the job standards for most of the Operational & Technical positions?
The job standards for most of the Operational & Technical category are subject to collective bargaining and are part of Phase 2 of this initiative. This category includes support, operational, technical, skilled or semi-skilled positions.Specific standards will not be available for campus review until 2009-2010 after review by bargaining units. Following a campus comment period, represented employees will be mapped into these nonexempt jobs. The campus will receive communication from HR when these standards are available for campus comment.
For a better understanding of the Operational & Technical category, please view the generic scope levels established for these positions.
Will the Job Description form be easier to complete?
Yes, a pre-filled Job Description form will be available, and should be much easier to use. We expect over 50% of the work will already be completed for managers and supervisors when they use the Job Descriptions specific to the employee’s Job Field, Family, Category and Level. This should significantly reduce the effort needed to provide Job Descriptions for each employee. If existing Job Descriptions are current, information may be transferred to the appropriate Job Description template.
Should the campus submit mapping recommendations for non-represented positions that are currently vacant?
Job mapping recommendations do not need to be submitted for vacant positions. Since the responsibilities of a vacant job may change or be revised, please submit a mapping recommendation for the job only when it has been filled.
New Compensation Structure
Will there be any pay or benefits changes when employees are mapped into new jobs?
No pay or benefits changes will occur at the time employees are mapped. However, better reference salary ranges will guide future pay decisions.How will the different levels on the Career Compass standards correspond with new salary grades and ranges?
Each job standard has corresponding market data that we will collect from third-party salary surveys to align our pay practices with other Bay Area public and private employers. Once the standards are finalized, they will be compared to market data for each occupational family, and salary ranges will be determined. A level 2 professional in one family will not necessarily be paid within the same grade and range as a level 2 professional in another family since the prevailing pay practices for professions differ in the marketplace. Each job will be assigned a salary grade and range that is representative of the typical wage levels paid in the market for comparable duties, skills and other requirements.How will this program affect future salary decisions?
The Compensation Unit is responsible for reviewing and recommending changes to the policies and procedures that affect staff salaries. The Compensation Unit is developing recommendations for a compensation program that will meet campus goals. In addition, the UC Regents are committed to a long-range goal of generally bringing base salaries closer to market levels.After the program is designed and implemented, factors that affect pay will include the employee’s position within their new salary range and their performance. Salary increases will also depend on the personnel policy or bargaining agreement that covers the position and the funding available to the campus. Additional information will be provided to supervisors and managers at a later date regarding compensation administration policies and procedures.
Why is matching jobs to market so important?
Campus pay programs must be more sensitive to the market because the campus competes against other employers (both private and public) for the best talent. Therefore, the campus’ jobs must be linked to similar jobs in the market and tied to salary ranges based on market pay. Once jobs are more clearly defined within salary ranges appropriate to the market, the job and compensation structures will be easier to understand and administer.How can higher education professions be compared to the outside market?
We are using a number of reputable third-party market salary surveys to link UCB’s jobs to the Bay Area market, including two well-known surveys that specialize in educational institutions. Because we compete with public and private organizations in the Bay Area for employees, our survey data will also include market salary information gathered from local companies.How will reclassifications happen in the new system?
Supervisors and managers will be asked to submit reclassification requests based on the new Job Description templates. The Compensation Unit will review future reclassification requests based on the Job Levels defined in the Job Structure.